The opening of East Ridge High School in Woodbury prevented talented divers Emily Bonfig, Jenna Karrow and Erin Kohlbeck from being teammates. But they will soon be competing head-to-head for top honors.
Karrow enrolled at East Ridge as a freshman last season and the school's senior-less status kept its sports programs in smaller classes. She took second in 1-meter diving at the Class 1A state meet while Woodbury's Kohlbeck (second) and Bonfig (sixth) posted all-state finishes at the Class 2A state meet.
East Ridge moves to Class 2A in swimming and diving in 2010-11. So the trio, who practice together all fall, might measure their skills against each other at state.
"It definitely adds more competition to the meet because we're all capable of winning," Kohlbeck said.
All three divers recently garnered All-America honors from the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (NISCA). Divers submit a video of their performances and judges select the top 100 in the nation. Bonfig sent her video in December and "had kind of forgotten" until she saw the results on a website in June. A certificate came later by mail.
Bonfig and Kohlbeck became Woodbury's fifth and sixth All-America divers while Karrow was East Ridge's first All-America athlete. The national recognition, though slow to arrive, is something all three girls will not soon forget.
"It gives me more confidence in my diving," Bonfig said. "It was a goal I reached and it will help with college recruiting."
Karrow said being All-America helps her get excited about her workouts. The girls are training 20 hours per week together this summer at the Minnesota Diving Academy. Away from the pool, the girls hone their skills with the help of a trampoline. And they condition themselves by running outside and via workouts that build their core muscles.